Sandro: Players must show that we care

LONDON -- Sandro has said that the Tottenham Hotspur squad were not upset by Tim Sherwood’s comments that they lack “guts” and “character” after Saturday’s 4-0 defeat to Chelsea, and that they have to prove themselves worthy.

Sandro says there is no hiding place for the players.

An emotional Sherwood castigated Tottenham in front of the press saying that such capitulations have happened too often, but insisted in Wednesday’s news conference that he hopes it will have a galvanising effect on the side.

Indeed, Sandro claimed it didn’t bother the squad, because it was exactly what Sherwood had said in the dressing room.

“He said the same thing to us as what he said to the press. I know the manager is with us and we are with the manager,” he said. “We need to show a bit more in next match to tell the manager that we care. We will do that.

“After a match like this we will all be upset with what happened on the pitch and I think we have to put in some more effort than we did. The manager said we need to show more character. Maybe it is that. We have this big game against Benfica where we can show that we are better than that.

“We have to win every game now, we don’t give up, as we know it is difficult to be there. We are Tottenham and we go for it. We know it’s going to be so hard, but after Benfica we have Arsenal and if we win that game it will change everything. So we never give up.”

Sherwood anticipates his words may improve performances to the point they can make a real run both at the top four and the Europa League. Despite that, in what was a possible dig at Jose Mourinho, the Spurs coach said his comments were not premeditated and were merely what he genuinely believed at the time.

“I hope [they are galvanised]. They know how I am, they know how I felt about what happened,” he said. “But we move on, you’ve got to move on, you can’t dwell on it. They’re all men, they all appreciate that I’m saying it from the heart, not from a script. I’m not an actor, I work on impulse and that’s exactly what it was.

“The players are men. I’m a manager not a baby-sitter. It’s not premeditated I just do what I think. That’s the way I felt. Unfortunately, I’m never going to take a step back and say this will have a certain reaction. I just shoot from the hip, that’s what I’m like.”